Belt-shifter



(No ModeL) P. LOMBARD. BELT SHIFTER. No. 587,041. atented July 2%?,1897.

/Jy///y//,/

agzma Y UNITED STATESA PATENT Oferton.

FRANK LOMBARD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BELT-SHIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 587,041, dated July 27',1897. Application fnednty 13,1897. serial Nofsezel. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LOMBARD, a citizen of the United States,residing in Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBelt-Shifters, of which the following is aspeciflcation.

'This invention relates to belt-Shifters.

To users of the ordinary belt-shifter havin g rigid guide-fingers theinjurious wear due to excessive and constant friction between the beltand guide-fingers has been a source of considerable annoyance andexpense, especially if the shifter has been used in connection with veryheavy belts, as suoli friction not only wears away the iingers of theshifter to such an extent asl to impair their stability and necessitatethe substitution of new fingers, but also skives the edges of the beltin such manner as to greatly reduce its strength and eiciency, and forthis reason it has been impracticable to use a woven belt in connectionwith the ordinary belt-shifter, as the friction soon severs theweft-threads at the edges of the belt, causing the same to fray andravel;

The object of this invention is to furnish a simple and effectivebelt-shifter embodying means whereby the injurious wear between the beltand the guide-fingers of the beltshifter will be practically obviated.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in connection with thetwo fingers of a belt-shifter, two oppositely-disposed antifrictionbelt-guides, secured one to each finger and adjustable longitudinallythereon, and cach guide embodying a carrier or frame, means for clampingsaid carrier in an adjusted position' on the belt-shifter finger, andone or more bearing-rolls mounted on said carrier or frame in positionto engage the edge of a belt.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional plan of a belt-shifter embodying my invention, aportion of the shifter-bar or guidel finger-carrying rod being brokenaway anda portion of a belt being shown in position between the rolls ofthe two guiding devices. Fig. 2 is a side elevation cf the parts shownin Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale', of one of theantifriction belt-guides.

Fig. LI is a plan View of the belt-guide shown in Fig. 3 with the topplate thereof removed. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the top plate of thebeltguide detached. Fig. 6 is asection of the anti- .frictionbelt-guide, taken in dotted line a o.,

, ings having relatively dierent internal diameters to enable them tofit guide-ngers of different diameters. p

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

The belt-shifter in the preferred form thereof (shown most clearly inFigs. l and 2 of the drawings) comprises a shifter bar or rod B, whichmay be of any suitable general construction, two laterally-projectingiingers 3 and 4, adj ustably secured to the shifter-bar, preferably byset-screws 3' and 4, two oppositely-disposed antifriction belt-guides,each of which is designated in a general way by G and each of which issupported on a finger for concentric and longitudinal adjustmentrelatively thereto, and means for securing the guides in their adjustedpositions on their respective carrying-fingers.

The antifriction belt-guides, in which the essence of this inventionresides, comprises, in the preferred form thereof, (shown most clearlyin Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings,) a frame or carrier, meansfor securing the carrier to the finger of the belt-shifter, and one ormore rolls mounted on the frame in position to engage a belt.

The frame of the belt-guide in the form, -shown in the accompanyingdrawings consists, preferably, of a triangular base-plate 5,

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 having preferably formed integral therewith f IOOnear one angle thereof to correspond to and register with the axialrecess of the sleeve or post 6.

The upper ends of the pintles are shown (see Figs. 4 and '7)diametrically reduced to form shoulders for supporting the cap 9, thediametrically-reduccd portions of the pintles extending through openingsin said cap. The opposite end of each pintle is also shown diametricallyreduced and extended through a countersunk opening` in the baseplate 5,where it is secured to the base 5 by a fiange formed by upsetting thisend of the pintle. It will be obvious that the pin tles might, however,be formed in one piece with the baseplate.

Mounted upon the two pintles 7 and S for rotative movement between thebase-plate 5 and cap 9 are two tubular rolls 10 and 12, respectively,whose peripheries preferably extend atv one side beyond the peripheralline of the frame.

For convenience I have provided, in connection with the belt-guideframe, a tubular bushing 13, which is shown removably seated in theaxial recess of the sleeve or post (S of the belt-guide frame, and whichbushing has an internal diameter substantially corresponding to thediameter of the finger to which the belt-guide is applied. This tubularbushing has, for convenience in holding the cap 0 of thebelt-guidefraniein place, an annular flange 13' at the upper endthereof, which is seated in an annular recess in the face of the cap 9,as shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings, the end face ofthe fiange lying flush with the outer face of the cap 9.

As a simple and convenient means for adjustably attaching theantifriction belt-guide to a finger of the belt-shifter the sleeve orpost G is transverselybored and tapped to receive a clamp-screw 14, theshank of which has a screw-threaded bearing in said sleeve and extendsthrough an opening 14E in the tubular bushing 13 in said sleeve, asshown most clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the inner end ofthe screwlet bearing, when the parts of the belt-shifter are assembled, againstthe peripliery'of the finger of said belt-shifter.

By providing` a series of interchangeable bushings adapted to fit thebore of the sleeve 6 and having said bushings of relatively differentinternal diameters the belt-guide may be readily applied to belt-shifterfingers of different diameters by simply removing one bushing andinserting another bushing having the requisite internal diameter to fitthe finger.

As a convenient means for automatically feeding oil in proper quantitiesto the interior or bearing face of each tubular roll as required the tworoll-supportin g pintles 7 and S are longitudinally recessed for themajor portion of their lengths to form oil-reservoirs 15 and 15',preferably open at their upper ends, and said pintles are transverselybored near their upper ends to form oil-conduits 16 and 16', whichcommunicate at their outer ends with the oil-reservoirs 15 and 15',respectively.

It will be understood that when the rolls are in contact with a movingbelt the heat due to friction will cause the oil contained in thereservoirs 15 and 15 to rise and pass through the conduits 1b' and 1G tothe inner faces of the rolls.

In practice two antifrict'ion belt-guides will be employed, one inconnection with each linger 3 and 1, and located at opposite edges,respectively, of the beltl B, with the rolls 10 and 12 in contact withthe edges of said belt; and by the construction and organization ofbelt-guides liereinbefore described, and illu strated in the drawings,the belt-guide maybe adjusted in the arc of a circle on the beltshifterfinger to change the angle of the bearing as required, and, furthermore,the beltguides may be shifted longitudinally of their respective fingersand quickly secured in any desired position.

By providing two rolls on each belt-guide I secure a longer bearing thanis possible with the ordinary belt-shifter, which is obviouslyadvantageous.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In an antifrictionbelt-guide, a frame comprising a base-plate having a sleeve; a hollowroller-supporting pint-le fixed to said baseplate with its axis inparallelism with the axis of the sleeve and having an oil-conduitcommunicating with the interior and exterior thereof; in combinationwith a roller supported on said pintle, and means for adj ustablysecuring the frame to the finger of a belt-shifter.

2. An antifriction belt-guidev comprising a frame with a base-platehaving a sleeve opening through said base-plate; two tubularroller-supporting piiitles fixed to said baseplate with their axes inparallelism with, and substantially equidistant from, the axis of thesleeve, and each pintle having a transverse oil-conduit communicatingwith the interior and exterior thereof; two rollers supported one oneach pintle; means forholdin g the rollers against longitudinaldisplacement; and means for adjustably securing the frame to the fingerof a belt-shifter.

3. A belt-shipper comprising a shifter-bar; two fingers secured to saidbar and two oppositely-disposed belt-guides attached to the fingers,respectively, for longitudinal and circumferential adj ustment,and eachguide hav ing two parallel rolls adapted for engaging the side edge ofthe belt at different points, respectively, iii the length thereof.

f. The combination, with a belt-shifter finger, of a frame secured tothe belt-shifter finger and provided with a roll-supporting pintlehaving a lon gitudinally-disposed oil-reservoir open to the end of thepin tle and a transversely-disposed conduit communicating with theoil-reservoir and open to the periphery of ICO IIO

the interior and exterior, respectively, of

said pintle, and said pintles also having their outer ends diametricallyreduced to form cap-supporting shoulders; tWov tubular rolls mountedont-he two pintles a cap supported on the shoulders at the outer ends ofthe pintles; an interchangeable tubular bushing seated in the sleeve andhaving a iiange at the upper end thereof adapted to enter a recess inthe cap and hold the cap in place; and a set-screw extending through thesleeve and bushing and constituting a clamping device for securing thebelt-guide to a beltshifter finger.

FRANK LOMBARD.

Witnesses:

. F. N. CHASE, i

ANDREW FERGUSON.

